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Australia's third centre for innovation in regional health recognises Northern Queensland's leadership in research based health care

Tropical Australian Academic Health Centre in North Queensland has become the third Centre for Innovation in Regional Health accredited by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC).

The Hon Greg Hunt MP
Former Minister for Health and Aged Care

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Tropical Australian Academic Health Centre in North Queensland has become the third Centre for Innovation in Regional Health accredited by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC).

The Centre has demonstrated research excellence and leadership in research based clinical care and training, in addressing the region’s healthcare needs.

The Minister for Health, Hon Greg Hunt MP today announced the accreditation.

The centre has a focus on the needs of the region across a wide geographical area. This includes health workforce models, such as tele-oncology, to deliver high-quality health services to people in regional and remote communities, as well as tackling infectious diseases and non-communicable diseases prevalent in northern Queensland, and establishing training programs to build the research capability of clinicians in the region.

The centre is a collaboration of five hospitals and health services (Cairns and Hinterland, Mackay, North West, Torres and Cape, and Townsville), the Northern Queensland Primary Health Network, and James Cook University, including the Australian Institute of Tropical Health and Medicine.

Centres for Innovation in Regional Health are collaborations between research organisations, health care providers and educational institutions, all working together to deliver innovative, research-based health care and training for the benefit of their regional and remote communities.

Bringing researchers, health care providers and consumers together ensures the research is directly relevant to the community.

The first two Centres for Innovation in Regional Health were accredited by NHMRC in 2017:

  • Central Australia Academic Health Science Network.
  • NSW Regional Health Partners.

NHMRC accreditation recognises excellence in what the centre has already achieved, not just what it plans to do in the future.

The Morrison Government is determined to ensure the millions of Australians who live in rural, regional and remote areas have access to high quality health services and health outcomes.

With our $550 million investment in the Stronger Rural Health Strategy, we are building a sustainable, high-quality health workforce that, critically, is distributed across the country according to community need, particularly in rural and remote areas.

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